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Truth and Reckoning: Indian Boarding Schools
April 8, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Learn about 100 years of Native American boarding school history in Oregon.
This is an in-person program. Masks are recommended at all in-person library events.
This presentation will cover over 100 years of boarding school history and experiences. It will begin with the reasoning behind the founding of the government-based schools in the late 1800s, followed by a discussion of the changes and transitions these schools made that encompassed multiple generations of Native youth. The presentation will be a blending of both historical fact and oral storytelling.
Content warning: There will be empathy-based scenarios, vivid photography, and imagery, as well as a short video interview that includes the personal story of a boarding school survivor.
Gabriann says, “When I speak about boarding schools, it comes from the heart as my grandmother Marilyn Mitchell Hall was a survivor of Canyonville Bible Academy in Oregon and Haskell Indian School in Lawrence, Kansas. It is important for me to explain the intentions and the impacts, both short and long-term that these schools had on our families, tribes, and communities. I also strive to honor the memories of all the strong, resilient Native people who were forced into these schools and tell their stories with respect and gratitude.”
Gabriann “Abby” Hall is an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes. She was born and raised in the Fort Klamath Valley and attended school in Chiloquin, Oregon. She then went to Oregon State University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Ethnic Studies, a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and later a Master of Arts in Teaching. She currently teaches Ethnic Studies and Native Studies at Central Oregon Community College. Teaching diverse history is a passion of hers. She believes that understanding the impacts of the past on the present is instrumental to successfully navigating the world today.
A decompression room will be available for Indigenous community members following the program.
